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Hearing all these things, then, contrary to expectation, bowing the neck of their mind, they came under the yoke, and readily proceeded to dangers, to the marketplaces, to insults, to stonings, to beatings, to dishonors, to crosses, to various kinds of deaths; and with such great eagerness they endured these things, that they rejoiced and celebrated splendidly, whenever they were deemed worthy to share in the sufferings of Christ. For they rejoiced, it says, that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for his name. This is the ready obedience that the ascetic according to God is required to offer to his superior. For Christ chose disciples, forming for men 31.1409 this way of life, as we have already said before. For the superior is nothing other than one who represents the person of the Savior, and has become a mediator between God and men, and ministers to God the salvation of those who obey him. And we are taught this by Christ himself, when he appointed Peter as shepherd of his Church after himself: For, 'Peter,' he says, 'do you love me more than these? Feed my sheep'; granting to all subsequent shepherds and teachers the same authority. And a sign of this is to bind all alike, and to loose, just as he did. Just as, therefore, the sheep obey the shepherd, turning in whatever direction the shepherd leads them; so it is fitting for ascetics according to God to obey their superiors, not questioning their commands, when they are free from sin, but fulfilling what is commanded with all eagerness and zeal. For just as the carpenter or the builder uses each of the tools of the craft according to his own will, and the tool would not say that it will not fulfill the need for which the craftsman handles it, but yields to the hand of the one guiding it; so it is fitting for the ascetic, as a tool contributing to the completion of the spiritual edifice for the craftsman, to obey in all things, in which the superior judges it well for him to serve, so that he may not harm the completion of the spiritual work, by not contributing his own proper function. And just as the tool does not choose for itself what it should do to contribute to the craft, so also it is fitting for the ascetic not to choose the works for himself, but to yield the formation of himself to the understanding and governance of the craftsman. For he who leads with understanding knows how to examine accurately the character, the passions, and the impulses of the soul of each, and to adapt his own governance to these in each case. For this reason it is fitting in no way to oppose his orders, but to be persuaded that it is most difficult of all to know and to heal oneself, because self-love is innate in men, and robs each one of true judgment through partiality toward himself. But to be known and healed by another is easy, since the passion of self-love does not trouble the true diagnosis in the case of those judging others. For when this harmony is established in an ascetic community, peace will easily prevail among them, and the salvation of all will be achieved with love and concord.

CHAPTER 23. That the ascetic must also choose the menial tasks with much eagerness

it is fitting for the ascetic to choose. Indeed it is fitting for the ascetic to choose even the more menial tasks with much zeal and 31.1412 eagerness, knowing that whatever is done for God is not small, but great, and spiritual, and worthy of the heavens, and draws for us rewards from thence. If, then, it should be necessary to attend to beasts of burden carrying loads for the common needs, one must not object, considering the apostles, how eagerly they obeyed the Lord when he commanded them to bring the colt, and

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Ταῦτα τοίνυν πάντα πα ρὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν ἀκούσαντες, κλίναντες τὸν αὐ χένα τῆς διανοίας, τὸν ζυγὸν ὑπῆλθον, καὶ προχεί ρως ἐπὶ τοὺς κινδύνους, ἐπὶ τὰς ἀγορὰς, ἐπὶ τὰς ὕβρεις, ἐπὶ τοὺς λιθασμοὺς, ἐπὶ τοὺς ῥαβδι σμοὺς, ἐπὶ τὰς ἀτιμίας, ἐπὶ τοὺς σταυροὺς, ἐπὶ τοὺς ποικίλους θανάτους ἐχώρησαν· καὶ μετὰ τοσ αύτης προθυμίας ταῦτα ὑπέμενον, ὥστε χαί ρειν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἑορτάζειν λαμπρῶς, ἡνίκα ἂν τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθήμασι κοινωνῆσαι κατηξιώθησαν. Ἔχαιρον γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ ἀτιμασθῆναι. Ταύτην τὴν εὐπείθειαν ἀπαιτεῖται ὁ κατὰ Θεὸν ἀσκητὴς τῷ ἡγουμένῳ εἰσφέρεσθαι. Χριστὸς γὰρ μαθητὰς εἵλετο, τοῦτον τὸν βίον, ὡς ἤδη προείπομεν, τοῖς 31.1409 ἀνθρώποις τυπῶν. Ὁ γὰρ καθηγούμενος οὐδὲν ἕτε ρόν ἐστιν ἢ ὁ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπέχων πρόσωπον, καὶ μεσίτης Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, καὶ ἱερουρ γῶν τῷ Θεῷ τὴν τῶν πειθομένων αὐτῷ σωτηρίαν. Καὶ τοῦτο παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παιδευόμεθα, Πέτρον ποιμένα μεθ' ἑαυτὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἑαυτοῦ καθιστῶντος· Πέτρε γὰρ, φησὶ, φιλεῖς με πλέον τούτων; Ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου· πᾶσι δὲ τοῖς ἐφεξῆς ποιμέσι καὶ διδασκάλοις τὴν ἴσην παρέχοντος ἐξουσίαν. Καὶ τούτου σημεῖον τὸ δεσμεῖν ἅπαντας ὁμοίως, καὶ λύειν ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος. Ὥσπερ οὖν τὰ πρόβατα τῷ ποιμένι πείθεται, ταύτῃ τρεπό μενα, ᾗπερ ἂν ὁ ποιμὴν ἄγῃ· οὕτω προσήκει τοὺς κατὰ Θεὸν ἀσκητὰς τοῖς καθηγουμένοις πείθεσθαι, μὴ πολυπραγμονοῦντας τὰ ἐπιτάγματα, ὅταν ἁμαρ τίας ᾖ καθαρὰ, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐπιταχθέντα μετὰ προ θυμίας πάσης καὶ σπουδῆς ἐκπληροῦντας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τέκτων, ἢ ὁ οἰκοδόμος ἑκάστῳ τῶν τῆς τέχνης ὀργάνων κέχρηται πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν βούλησιν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν εἴποι τὸ ὄργανον, ὡς οὐ πληρώσει τὴν χρείαν, πρὸς ἣν ὁ τεχνίτης αὐτὸ μεταχειρίζεται, ἀλλὰ εἴκει τῇ χειρὶ τοῦ ἄγοντος· οὕτω προσήκει τὸν ἀσκητὴν, ὡς ὄργανον τεχνίτῃ πρὸς συμπλήρωσιν τοῦ πνευματικοῦ οἰκοδομήματος συντελοῦν, ἐν πᾶσι πεί θεσθαι, οἷς ἂν μὴ ὁ ἡγούμενος κρίνῃ καλῶς ἔχειν αὐτὸν ὑπουργεῖν, ὅπως ἂν μὴ τῇ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ ἔργου τελειώσει λυμήνηται, τὴν οἰκείαν οὐ συνεισφέ ρων χρείαν. Καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ὄργανον οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἐκλέ γεται ὅπερ ἐνεργεῖν δέοι εἰς τὴν τῆς τέχνης συνεισ φορὰν, οὕτω καὶ τὸν ἀσκητὴν προσήκει μὴ ἑαυ τῷ τὰ ἔργα αἱρεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ παραχωρεῖν τῇ συν έσει καὶ τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ τοῦ τεχνίτου τὴν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ διατύπωσιν. Οἶδε γὰρ ὅ γε συνετῶς ἀφηγούμενος ἑκάστου καὶ ἤθη καὶ πάθη καὶ ψυχικὰς ὁρμὰς ἀκρι βῶς ἐξετάζειν, καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα καὶ τὴν παρ' ἑαυ τοῦ ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ οἰκονομίαν ἁρμόζειν. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο προσήκει μηδαμῶς ἐναντιοῦσθαι ταῖς αὐτοῦ διατά ξεσιν, ἀλλὰ πεπεῖσθαι, ὡς ἁπάντων χαλεπώτατον ἑαυτὸν γινώσκειν καὶ θεραπεύειν, διὰ τὸ προσπεφυ κέναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὸ φίλαυτον, καὶ κλέπτειν τὴν τοῦ ἀληθοῦς κρίσιν ἕκαστον τῇ περὶ ἑαυτὸν προσπα θείᾳ. Τὸ δὲ παρ' ἄλλου γινώσκεσθαί τε καὶ θερα πεύεσθαι ῥᾴδιον, τοῦ τῆς φιλαυτίας πάθους ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλους κρινόντων οὐκ ἐνοχλοῦντος τῇ ἀληθεῖ διαγνώσει. Ταύτης γὰρ τῆς συμφωνίας ἐν ἀσκητικῷ συστήματι καθεστώσης, ῥᾳδίως ἥ τε εἰρήνη ἐν αὐ τοῖς πολιτεύσεται, καὶ ἡ σωτηρία μετὰ ἀγάπης καὶ ὁμονοίας τῶν ἁπάντων κατορθωθήσεται.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΚΓʹ. Ὅτι καὶ τὰ εὐτελῆ τῶν ἔργων μετὰ πολλῆς προθυμίας

αἱρεῖσθαι προσήκει τὸν ἀσκητήν. Προσήκει μέντοι τὸν ἀσκητὴν καὶ τὰ εὐτελέστερα τῶν ἔργων μετὰ πολλῆς

αἱρεῖσθαι τῆς σπουδῆς καὶ 31.1412 προθυμίας, εἰδότα, ὅτι πᾶν ὃ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν γίνεται, οὐκ ἔστι μικρὸν, ἀλλὰ μέγα, καὶ πνευματικὸν, καὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἄξιον, καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἡμῖν ἕλκον μι σθούς. Κἂν τοίνυν ὑποζυγίοις ἀχθοφοροῦσι ταῖς κοι ναῖς χρείαις ἀκολουθεῖν δεήσῃ, ἀντιβαίνειν οὐ χρὴ, ἐννοοῦντα τοὺς ἀποστόλους, ὅπως προθύμως ὑπήκουσαν τῷ Κυρίῳ παραγαγεῖν τὸν πῶλον κε λεύσαντι, καὶ